Purely Commentary

By PHILIP SLOMOVITZ

2—THE JEWISH NEWS

Friday, March 6, 1953

Set April 20 As Women's
'Big Pay Off' Luncheon

A Story With a Moral: Jews in ALL Camps

By FRANK SIMONS

On the eve of Hanukah, your Commentator resorted to mem-
ory in writing the following as part of the Maccabees column,
seeking a moral for that season of the year as taught by the
career of the late Sir Robert Waley Cohen of London:

One should not speak ill of the dead, especially when the
departed happened to have been a recognized leader among
his people. Yet there is temptation to recall a rather sad inci-
dent in the life of Sir Robert Waley Cohen, prominent British
Jew, who died in London last week.
A leader in the ranks of the British Board of Jewish Depu-
ties, Jewish Colonization Association and United Synagogue,
Sir Robert, while interesting himself in the Palestine Economic
Corporation, was actively anti-Zionist. That of course, never
was a crime. There are people in our own time who remain
anti-Zionist but in their own way assist in Israel's upbuilding.
There are non-Zionists among Israelis who speak in terms of
the totality of Jewish manpower rather than party allegiance.
But Sir Robert was responsible for a statement, in the days
of the Nazis, which was most amazing.
When the world was fighting Nazism, Sir Robert- wanted
it to be known that he was anti-Nazi but not anti-Fascist,
because, he was quoted to say, "in a sense I am a Fascist my-.
self." As an ultra-conservative industrialist, he was entitled to
his economic ideas, but somehow we could not understand at
the time why he should have accepted the Fascist label-
ellen if with reservations. He must have regretted it later.
We mention it as proof of an 'inner Hellenism in the hearts
even of Jews who act and think in terms of their economic
inclinations. There is no other explanation of the ultra-con-
servative attitude of people. Some called it Fascism. On Hanu-
kah we choose to call it Hellenism.

But with a craving for accuracy, this Commentator sacrificed
the desire to pass on his recollections to his readers and sought
confirmation for these reminiscences.
Last week, Miss Pamela Melnikoff, Assistant Librarian of The
Jewish Chronicle of London, England, provided the facts in the
following letter:

"The following paragraph was included in a report of a
meeting of the Jewish Ex-Servicemen's Legion, reported in 'The
Jewish Chronicle' of November 27th, 1936:
" 'In reply to a question on Palestine, Sir Robert (Waley
Cohen) said he believed they should insist on assuring every
Arab that he would have employment and a decent livelihood,
equally with the rest of the citizens. He had mixed up, as
they had seen,the Palestine question and the Nazi . question—
he would rather call it that then the Fascist question, FOR HE
REALLY BELIEVED HE WAS ALMOST A FASCIST HIMSELF
and did not like to confuse the two names'."

Miss Melnikoff added to her letter this very telling paragraph:

"It appears that Sir Robert never actually denied this
statement."

Here you have the story, in its blunt reality, as a revelation
that Jews- are like other people; that they are divided ideological-
ly among all elements, in accordance with their economic think-
ing and preferences. We have indicated on numerous occasions,
especially in connection with the political debates that preceded
our last November's election, that the yardstick by which Jews—
like all citizens—measure their economic and political prejudices
is their own economic status and aspiration. Thus it was with Sir
Robert Waley Cohen.

The Foolhardy Other Extreme

Those on the other end of the tape—the extremists, the hand- -

ful of leftists, who may wish to draw .a parallel by accusing the

Sir Robert Waley Cohens of being Fascists, only fool themselves
by trying to compare men like the late British Jewish leader with
Zionists who now are used by the Soviet stooges as scapegoats
in a fantastic attack upon the Jewish people.
The Communist anti-Zionists—who have emerged as anti-
Jews, and who can only be referred. to as anti-Semites—must find
a label to paste on the arms of Jews and they use the term
Fascists when referring to those they seek to purge. The very
people they have purged were themselves anti-Zionists. Many of
them were Jews who were more detructive of decency than the
pogromists, whether they are Czarist or Stalinist.
But Sir Robert represented another element: a group that
often is extremely liberal when oppressed Negroes or South Afri-
cans or Armenians (remember the case of Henry Morgenthau
Sr.?) are involved, but who go in the other direction when it be-
comes necessary to liberate Jews. Thus, Sir Robert was "almost a
Fascist" himself because of his wealth and his thinking in terms
of economic royalty and perhaps in opposition to liberal laborites.
A fact that described his attitude was incorporated in the London
Jewish Chronicle obituary (Dec. 5, 1952, issue), thus:

One cause of contention was Sir Robert's insistence that
ZionisM should not be introduced into the synagogue. Indi-
vidual congregations voiced from time to time their disagree-
ment with this veto; but the most notable dispute was one
with the late Chief Rabbi, Dr. Hertz. In October, 1945, a great
deal of concern was aroused in the community by the attitude
of the government of Palestine and the retention of the White
Paper that kept Jewish refugees out of the land. A telegram
was sent by the Chief Rabbi to all Jewish ministers in Great
Britain under his jurisdiction, proclaiming Sabbath, October 6,
a Day of Jewish Solidarity with the remnants of European
Jewry .. .
On the Friday (October 5) a telegram signed by Sir Robert
and Mr. Frank Samuel (Vice-President) was sent to all United
Synagogues stating that the last sentence of the Chief Rabbi's
telegram might be misinterpreted as advocating the introduc-
tion of politics into religious services . -
Many protests were made against the sending of this tele-
gram: the Beth Din issued a pronouncement, resolutions were
passed by synagogues, there were angry scenes at United Syn-
agogue Council meetings, and some calls for Sir Robert's
resignation. At a series of Council meetings, up till the end of
the year, efforts were made to arrive at an amicable settlement
of the differences, but they were never concluded decisively.
Early in January, 1946, the death of the Chief Rabbi occurred
and the community was plunged into mourning and was faced
with new problems.

The facts speak fOr themselves. An otherwise rich life of a
man who made notable contributions to Jewish philanthropy
and Jewish learning, was marred by a short - sightedness
which blinded him into admitting that he was a sort of
Fascist himself. May he be forgiven, especially if he had for-
given himself before he died. He lived long enough to see the
error of his ways, both in the general expose of Fascism and in
the triumph of Israel and Zionism.

Former Russian Writer Tells
of Communism's Weaknesses

Setting April 20 for "Big Pay-
Off" luncheon of the 1953 Allied
Jewish Campaign Women's Divi-
sion, from left, are Mesdames
SEYMOUR J. FRANK, PHILIP
R. MARCUSE and WILLIAM B.
ISENBERG. The special gifts
cabinet will meet at 10:30 a.m.,
March 9, at the Butzel Memorial
Building, to complete arrange-
ments for the luncheon.

Detroiters to Attend
Israel Bond Conclave

The first national conference
of American and Israel leaders
to consider the challenge of
Russian anti-Semitism will be
held -in Washington, March 6-8.
The conference, which will
stress the need for strengthen-
ing Israel's economic defenses,
I will be held at the Mayflower
Hotel under auspices of the
State of Israel Bond organiza-
tion.
Senator Robert A. Taft, of
Ohio, majority leader of the
U.S. Senate, and Senator Herbert
H. Lehman, of New York, will
join with outstanding Israel
government leaders as principal
speakers at the conference.
Others who will address the
three-day national meeting are:
Dr. Dov Joseph, Minister of
State of Israel; Abba S. Eban,
Israel Ambassador • to the U.S.;
Dr. Nelson Glueck, president of
Hebrew Union College—Jewish
Institute of Religion; Dr. Arieh
Leon Kubovy, Israel Minister to
Czechoslovakia and P o l a n d;
Hon. Theodore Kollek, director-
general of the Prime Minister's
Office in Jerusalem; Henry
Morgenthau, Jr., chairman of
the boa-rd of governors of the
Israel bond organization, and
Julian B. Venezky, chairman of
the executive committee of the
Israel bond drive.
A number of Detroit bond
leaders will attend the confer-
ence.

Propaganda campaigns to the
contrary, Shmarya Kochergin-
sky, who in 1945 and 1946 was
a member of the Union of So-
viet Writers, stated in a press
conference here that basically
Communism is weak.
Anyone who has had the op-
portunity to observe Western
culture, he emphasized, is not a
friend of the Communists. To-
day, in Israel, the strongest an-
ti-Communists are Jews who
either served in the Red Army
during World War II or came to
the Jewish state via Russia.
Kocherginsky's o b s e rvations
on Russia's anti-Semitic drive
are not new, but because of his
familiarity with the Communist
regime they lend a note of au-
thority to recent speculations.
He reported that Israel began
to decline in Russia's favor the
moment the new state started
favoring the West, particularly
the United States. The purges,
he stated, have been made for a
two-fold reason: to frighten
Jews in countries under satellite
rule in order to keep them loyal,
and to use high government
leaders as goats in order to
take away the blame from Rus-
sia and Communism itself for
their meager existences.
Kocherginsky,' who is here to
address meetings of the Hista-
drut, an organization he volun-
teered to serve because he felt
it was effective in fighting Com-
munism in Israel, is a resident
of Argentina.
He came there in 1950, after
spending a few years in Europe
after he left Russia. He was per-
mitted to leave Russia under the
Polish repatriation law, which
permitted Polish citizens to re-
turn to their homes. From Po-
land he went to Czechoslovakia
and from there to the Western
Zone of Germany.
Born in. Vilno, Poland. Kocher-
ginsky first joined the Russians

in 1941 after he escaped from
the ghetto set up by the Nazis,
He served with the Red Parti-
sans, a guerilla band formed to
fight the Germans, and was
named the group's historian.
Following the war, Kochergin-
sky, as a writer, was urged
to join the Union of Soviet
Writers at the invitation of Ilya
Ehrenberg, the notorious Jewish
anti-Semite who has been Mos-
cow's apologist for the Jews.
In this capacity he started to
write his story of the Partisans.
but it never reached print. The
Reds feared that such a work
would inspire anti-Soviet Parti-
sans.
Kocherginsky explained that
the writers were well paid, but
that commissions were given
only through the writer's group.
His co-workers, he said, lived in
constant fear of expressing
wrong ideas. Should the party
line change in the middle of a
book, the author had to reword '1
it to conform with the new
ideas.
His book was finally written—.
in Yiddish—after he left Russia.
The story—"Life of the Parti-
sans" won many commenda-
tions and also the Zvi Kesser,
prize in Mexico. Another of his
books, an expose of Communism
and its systematic disintigration
of the JeWish community, is
called "Between the Hammer
and the Sickle."

—

Sir Robert Waley Cohen
Leaves $162,000 to Family

LONDON, (JTA) — Sir Robert
Waley Cohen, leading personal-
ity of the Anglo-Jewish world,
who died last November at the
age of '75, left an estate of 58,000
pounds ($162,000), it was re-
wealed here when the will was
published. The entire estate
was bequeathed to members of
his family.

Between You and Me

By 3ORIS SMOLAR

(Copyright, 1953, Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Inc.)

Washington Trend

President Eisenhower is being flooded with letters and tele7 -
grams from all parts of the country asking that the United State
Government act energetically through the United Nations t
check the anti-Jewish propaganda in the Iron Curtain countrie.,
. Similar communications are also being received in large num-
bers at the State Department . While Eisenhower does not
Friends of Symphony
hesitate to lash out aaginst Moscow's anti-Semitism, the State
Elect Daniels President
Department's policy is not to attack the Kremlin for its specific
campaign against Jews and Israel . It prepares to condemn
At a recent meeting of the Russia's persecution of Jews, Christians and Moslems in general
Friends of the Jewish Communi- • . . This puts the Jews in the same category with the Ukrainians,
ty Center Symphony Orchestra, Byelorussians and other nationalities in the Soviet Union . . „
Lewis B. Daniels was elected Whether this policy of not singling out the Jews as victim of the
president. He will be assisted by Communist anti-Jewish drive will help check the drive, is doubted
Joseph H. Jackier, vice-presi- by those who advocate stronger action. . . They point out that
dent; Charles E. Feinberg, Moscow does not hesitate to single out the Jews in charging them
treasurer; and Mrs. Albert J. with "espionage" for the United States . . . And they wonder why
the State Department prevented the Senate from adopting a reso-
Silber, secretary.
Board members include Mes- lution specifically condemning Soviet anti-Semitism by watering
dames E. Bryce AlPern, publici- it down. . . The answer to this is, of course, that some officials
ty; Malcolm S. Lowenstein, pub- in the State Department are afraid that if Washington comes out
lic relations; Nathan Simons, in defense of the Jews alone in Moscow's anti-Jewish campaign,
social; Abraham Cooper and Da- Stalin may utilize it as "proof" that the Jews are "American
vid Wilkus, " membership co- agents" . . . What a peculiar way of thinking!
chairmen.
The next soloist of the sym-
phony will be Georges Miquelle, Zionist Affairs
who will be be featured in the
Although the plenum 'of the American Zionist Council voted
American premiere of Julius to expand its activities by taking over some functions from the
Chajes' Cello Concerto, to be Jewish Agency, such expansion will not take place for some time.
conducted by the composer.
. . . There will have to be protracted talks between the Jewish
Agency and the American Zionist Council on the transfer of func-
tions which the Agency wants to hand over . . . These talks can-
Urgent Call for Mo'os
not be started now, when some of the leaders of both groups are
Elitim; Only One-Third in Europe preparing for the international Jewish conference
against Soviet anti-Semitism which will take place next week in
Of Need Now Available
Zurich. . . Even upon their return to New York no conclusive
Only one-third of the sum talks can be held since they involve not only the transfer of some
needed to assist the 600 needy Jewish Agency departments to the American Zionist Council, but
have reached the Passover Mo'os also budgetary and personnel problems . . . In the meantime, the
Hitim Committee, and it is urg- summer months are approaching and even Jewish leaders are en-
ent that funds be received at titled to a vacation . . Thus, the real reorganization of the
once to assure that all in want American Jewish Council will probably not take place for some
will be helped, the committee months . . . In the meantime, a new Administrative Committee of
five has been named to function under the chairmanship of Louis
stated this week.
Lipsky . . . The fact that Mrs. Rose Halprin has been elected vice-
The committee's urgent appeal chairman of the American Zionist Council indicates that there will
was made as a result of the be full harmony between the Council and the Jewish Agency dur-
realization that unless funds ing the talks of the transfer of functions, since Mrs. Halprin is
come at once many families will also the acting chairman of the American section of the Jewish
suffer.
Agency executive ... The functions which the Agency will trans.
Those who have not , yet • made fer to the Council will be limited to those having to do with work
their contributions are urged to on the American scene . They will include the stimulation of
send them to the chairman of Zionist activities among American Jewish youth, increased Zionist
the committee, Harry Cohen, participation in the Jewish Federations and Welfare Funds ants
3220 W. Chicago Blvd.
intensified Hebrew education in this country.

